Courting Magic
by Hawkflight7
Summary: "I'm a what?" "A Veela Miss Granger." Hermione's not-so-normal life has been turned upside down at recent news. Not only is she a Veela but she must find her mate in a school with well over a hundred students and be accepted by him. But, what if she's been looking in the wrong area the whole time? HG/SS
1. Chapter 1

**Courting Magic**

**Summary: "I'm a **_**what**_**?" "A Veela Miss Granger." Hermione's not-so-normal life has been turned upside down at recent news. Not only is she a Veela but she must find her mate in a school with well over a hundred students and be accepted by him. But, what if she's been looking in the wrong area the whole time? HG/SS**

**Hello everybody! who's reading this... i know, i know, there's a lot of veela fics out there already but i'm just throwing mine in with the rest. Hope you enjoy it! Also, the chapters will be longer as this is just the prologue. We're going to have fun on this bumpy ride!**

**I should add that i just recently came across this couple and i love it. Courtesy of mychemicalrelapse's story A Yearning. If you haven't read it you should.**

**Prologue**

Hermione sat in the chair listening to a lecture on the War between Faeries and Syunbeeks that had happened in 902. It was interuppted though when McGonagall strode into the room and asked for her, adding to gather her things as she had a matter to discuss with her and it would take some time.

The young Gryfindor got up from her chair after putting her scrolls of parchment and quil away that she had been using to take notes. She quickly got up getting a few glances from her Gryfindor classmates but otherwise being ignored. Afterall, this was her seventh year and it would probably just be about her career choices. She couldn't possibly be in trouble.

Could she?

Hermione shook away the thought knowing she hadn't, and besides McGonagall would have pulled her aside during class this morning. So obviously it was something that had just come up while she had been attending her other classes, and yet she felt kind of flustered. The professor had spoken rather urgent. But it would only be noticable to those in her house. It was really no wonder that the others had looked at her wondering what was going on to put the teacher in such a state.

She urged herself to hurry since McGonagall had left the class immedietly obviously going to her office. With her hand she pulled a strand of hair out of her face while turning the corner to her classroom. She slipped through the open door.

"Please miss Granger, close the door behind you." Said McGongall from beyond her desk pearing down at what appeared to be a letter. She turned around and closed the door before setting her supplies at the desk she usually sat and walked forward toward the professor. "Now," she said looking up at her student. "please sit down." Hermione flicked her wand and a chair came forward for her to sit so she could remain infront of the professor. "This may come as a shock to you, but the Department of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, has recently been going through their records and updating them and they found that your grandmother was," There was a pause as McGonagall seemed to be gathering herself up for it, as if she didn't believe the words about to come from her. "You're a Veela."

She just said it point blank, letting the young womans mind figure out what this meant. Leaving her to connect the dots that she hadn't wanted to say. Her grandmother a veela? She had never met the woman so she couldn't personally confirm such a thing but she knew what this entailed. Hermione closed her eyes for a moment trying to wrap her mind around this. Just to be sure though... "I'm a _what_?" she asked thinking it was possible she had heard her wrong. That she must have heard her wrong.

"A Veela Miss Granger."

This time the words sunk in deep. "That... can't be right. Professor?" she glanced from her lap that she had found herself staring at for the past minute. "Can I see the letter?"

"Of course." She handed it to her withtin the second as if she knew Hermione would ask for it.

After looking it over though, and all the tests to confirm it she simply leaned back in her chair. Shock ran through her and she slowly put the letter and the other papers inside back on Professor McGonagall's desk.

"I know this must be hard to take but as you are eighteen and the year is just beginning you do have a decent amount of time to find your mate and for them to fall in love with you before you turn nineteen. I assure you Miss Granger it is possible to do."

"Find... my mate?" What if it wasn't Ron? The boy growing into a man that she had come to love over the many years even with their missadventures. There were a lot of students at Hogwarts and, could she really depend on the fantasy that her mate was even within these walls? It would take forever to find him. Of course, if she didn't find him and turned nineteen she would die. She shivered at the thought.

"Such things like this have happened at Hogwarts before, and five out of six times their mate was within these walls. When the mate was not here they somehow found eachother in Hogsmeade." The words were reasurring but fear still pounded through her veins. "With you being a veela we still have a few more matters to disucss Miss Granger."

"Like?" Hermione asked even though she knew. She had read enough about veela's to know what was coming.

"When you do find your mate we will give you a seperate room so you can be alone together. Of course this would be easier if you're mate is in Gryfindor."

Dear gods, she didn't even want to think about her mate being in a differrent House. Okay, she wouldn't care if they were a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw but a Slytherin had to be out of the question. She couldn't stand any of them and her friends had told her countless times how aceepting she was of everyone. I can hope, she thought biterly.

McGonagall must have seen the look on her face for she stated another percentage of sorts. "Four out of six times the mate was in the same house." This did cool her mind and she sighed softly feeling a partial weight come off her shoulder. Once she thought about it though that was little more than half of the veela cases at Hogwarts. Either could be possible here. "I would also like to remind you, a veela once they recognize their mate must have some sort of physical contact, not always sexual," she added seeing Hermione's eyes flicker towards her. "to gain energy. I'm sure you know this from all the reading you do but i must make sure you understand what is going on. Finding your mate won't necessarily be a walk in the park and you will feel more tired than usual, of course, I'm sure you've noticed this already."

She had noticed the sudden dull ache in her bones after her birthday. Waking up to yawn each morning even when she had a full nights sleep. She hadn't thought much of it but in all honesty she should have realized it was a sign. Then again, she had never expected herself to be a veela. "I understand." She replied.

"When you do find your mate you will also be protective of them and jump to their defense wether they are right or wrong as is the nature of a veela-"

"Professor?" she interupted. "You said my grandmother was a veela so that makes me a quarter veela, right?"

"Correct." Minerva looked to the girl and frowned. "I'm sorry for pushing this all onto you at once but I figured it would be best. What is the muggles say?, 'ripping it off fast like a bandaid'?"

Hermione nodded even though it wasn't the exact words. It still meant the same thing and she was glad McGonagall had done it this way. So she knew exactly what this entailed for her, how it would affect her life. She still had one question though. "Professor McGonagall, how do I know when I find my mate?"

She met her student's gaze steadily. "You'll just know."

Hermione stood up after this, so fast her head rushed for a moment and she grabbed onto the chair to steady herself. "Thank you for telling me immedietly Professor." She turned, grabbing her book bag and left the room in a flurry of steps.

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Courting Magic - Chapter 1**

**Here's the next chapter, already. Don't expect them to be this fast all the time though. I'll try to keep this to atleast one chapter a week, sometimes it might be a shorter wait, other times longer. Just bear with me.**

After checking the time and realizing the conversation had taken up the rest of her classes she hurried up to the Gryfindor common room. She stopped to say hello ro Ron and Harry who were playing wizard chest once again instead of doing their homework. Some things never changed.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said, "D six." a rook moved along the board.

Harry turned to her, "Hello, so what did McGonagall have to say?"

"She just needed to talk to me about the classes I decided on to make sure it went will with my career choice." Hermione lied turning her eyes away, which she hadn't meant to do as it told him right away that something was wrong. "I have to go but I'll see you tomorrow." Her words cut off his own before he could even speak. She got up her eyes settling on a blaze of red hair. As she walked by Ginny she whispered, "meet me upstairs in a few minutes i have to tell you something."

She sat down on to her bed glancing around the room wondering how she was going to do this with the time given. Just clam down she told herself. Everything will be alright, you have seven months afterall it should be plenty of time to find your mate and make them fall in love with you.

"I can do this." she muttered to herself just as the door opened.

"Do what?"

"Oh Ginny! Sit down, please." Ginny walked over to her sitting on her bed opposite of hers.

"I heard you had to go to McGonagall's office. What happened that's got you all stirred up?" Hermione had fallen silent as she figured out how to word this exactly. "Hermione?" Ginny said peering at her.

She glanced up to meet her friend's eyes. "McGonagall called me in because I'm a quarter veela." Ginny's eyes widened, surprise washing over her features. Hermione guessed this is what she must have looked like when the professor told her. "It was just recently discovered that my grandmother was a veela. I have seven months to find my mate, there is a fourty percent chance that they are in another House and a twenty percent chance they're not even at Hogwarts, which means I would likely find them in Hogmeade.." she took a breath, "I know it's true too because of how tired I've been after my birthday." Hermione leaned forward taking Ginny's hand. "You won't be mad at me if it's not Ron will you?"

"Mad?" Ginny stared at her. "I could never be mad at you Hermione. Who cares if my brother isn't your mate, I like having a friend that's alive. Besides, isn't this, kind of exciting?" A smile went over her face.

"When I find my mate I won't be able to sleep here anymore you know." Hermione let go of her friends hand. She could barely imagine not waking up in this room. Instead on probably a larger bed opening her eyes every morning to a smiling face that would love her for all eternity.

"That's fine. I always found the part of a veela finding it's mate romantic. Don't you?"

"I-" Hermione started, then smiled. "I suppose so. It is exciting." she admitted. Then voiced a major concern of hers. "Who do you think it is? Not a Slytherin I hope. Having to touch one of those slippery ferrets would not be the highlight of my day just to get some energy."

Ginny laughed. "I doubt it. Your mate should be perfect for you, a good match. It may be a Slytherin sure, but it definetly wouldn't be Malfoy or any of his pack. Ooo, there's that cute six year Ravenclaw boy too. Maybe it's him?"

"It could be anyone. I haven't even started searching. I'm not sure how I should search. I've read up all about veela but they never mentioned how a veela knew who their mate was or how they found them." Hermione bit her lip, anxious now.

"Honestly Hermione you just found out today no one expects you to know everything about this."

A realization dawned over Hermione. "If I get energy from my mate then when I touch them I should feel less tired and more-"

"Awake! Yes, that's the spirit!" Ginny cheered.

"But, I can't necessarily go around touching every boy in sight-" Ginny giggled and Hermione's face flushed. "That's not what I meant! Just like a, tap on the shoulder or something. Wherever there is skin for my fingers to brush against-"

"Or lips." Ginny said with a smirk shortly laughing at Hermione's expression. "I'm sorry. I think it's a great idea. When people are walking in the halls they touch hands accidently all the time. You'll find your mate within the month."

Hermione settled properly back onto the bed and smiled. "It is simple, isn't it? I don't know why I was so worried before-" Ginny was giving her an odd look. "What?"

"You have to tell Harry, and especially Ron."

"Oh, We can do that right now. They can be my first test subjects."

Ginny's smile evaporated within the second. "Don't joke like that. If Harry ends up being your mate I'll-I.. will, well it'll be bad for you."

Hermione laughed. "I've been brushing fingers with Harry since I got here and he needed me to check an essay. It's not him."

Ginny smiled then frowned again. "Then you know it's not Ron either."

Hermione sighed. "No, it's not him. Well, I suppose it's time for me to go down there and stomp his heart out."

"Hermione it's not your fault." Ginny insisted.

"I know. Come down with me?"

"Sure."

They hurried down the staircase to their friends. It took a minute for the two girls to convice them to go outside somewhere secluded but soon they were on their way to Hagrid's hut. The four sat admist the garden.

"Ron," Hermione began.

"What? Is something wrong? You're using the serious voice of yours. I knew something was up." Ron said.

Hermione fought back her laugh. "Nothing's wrong. It's just that, I guess you could say we have to break up." She quickly continued before she could be interupted. "When I went to McGonagoll's she told me I was a quarter veela, and Ron, well, you're just not my mate."

"A veela?" Ron said, rather astounded. "You?"

"No, the tree behind you. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?" Hermione glanced at him.

Ron frowned and was quite for awhile but ulimately nodded. "Just promise me something."

"What is it?"

"When you find you're mate you'll tell me who it is."

"I'm not going to let you beat up my mate Ronald Weasely." Hermione said with a thin scowl on her face.

Ron opened his mouth and fumbled for words at her accusation. "I-I wouldn't-never-" Harry and Ginny begun laughing. "Okay, fine. I won't beat up your mate." He looked to the ground but his head shot back up quickly. "As long as it's not a Slytherin."

"You have my full permission to punch my mate once if it's a Slytherin but you better hope he doesn't tell me about it and that I'm not around."

"I'll be careful of that." Ron replied in all seriousness.

The group of friends begun laughing only stopping when Hermione thought of something. "You can't tell anybody about this. It's top secret. Okay? Swear it.' she added quickly.

"I swear." Ron and Harry replied after her. Hermione looked to Ginny who winked at her. "I also swear myself to secrecy." She smiled at this.

"Okay, we should get back to the common room then, Harry and Ron still have essays to finish I believe."

"Oh no. The one for herbology is due tomorrow." Ron said and got up walking away, Harry followed a second after and soon they were running back up the hill to the newly constructed bridge.

"He seemed to take that well." Hermione conceded.

"In the inside he's screaming like a little child, and I'll think he'll punch your mate wether they're a Slytherin or not." Ginny hissed. "Just saying, he's freaking out inside. I'll make sure to go check on him and tell my brothers-if that's okay with you."

"It's fine." Hermione replied.

"They're good with secrets, plus they don't even go to Hogwarts anymore so it won't be a problem at all. Oh, I'll have to tell mom and dad too so they understand why you-"

"It's fine Ginny. I understand. Come on." she said and they went back to Gryfindor tower to get some rest.

The next morning Hermione woke up and hurridly put on her robes and went down to breakfast. Sitting at the table she glanced around the room wondering who her mate could possibly be. It was both exciting and frightning, all the possibilities that she would slowly tick off until she found him. Not that there was much to look at, she had come earlier then most. Her eyes trailed over the Slytherin table in a single glance seeing it was just a couple fifth years and Malfoy's friend Blaise. Her mind didn't dwaddle on him though, skipping over to the Ravenclaw table where about twenty people were. Out of all the Houses they were the most likely to be here early. Only a single person was at the Hufflepuff table and it was a girl.

Sighing Hermione looked to her plate, picked up some toast and began spreading jam ontop of it. She bit into the piece of bread when done eyes wandering over to the professors table. McGonagall sat there along with Trelawny. But in the next second Snape joined them sweeping in from a door at the front, his cape billowing around him like usual.

She took another bite of her toast, gaze on the potions professor as he sat down. His head turned toward her as if sensing her looking at him. Hermione's mouth froze mid-bite when their eyes met. He had such a steely gaze, always looking somehow angry at the world. His eyes narrowed at her...

"Good morning Hermione," a voice came from her left and she whipped her head around in surprise.

"Good morning Neville." she said almost choking as she coughed on a stray piece of bread in her mouth.

"You okay?" He asked leaning forward. Hermione made a small noise in the back of her throat. Neville grabbed a glass of water on the table and handed it to her, fingers brushing over her outstretched hand. She took a quick gulp to force the bit of food down her throat. "Fine now?"

"Yes. Thanks." She picked up a napkin dabbing at her mouth lightly trying to forget that stupid incident. Then her eyes widened and she smiled. She hadn't felt anything when Neville touched her hand. One down, a few hundred more to go!

The greathall begun to fill up after Neville had come in. Ginny sat herself opposite of Hermione and leaned forward. "So?"

"I can't work that quickly." Hermione replied to which Ginny grinned.

"Please don't tell me you've started some project for fun again." Seamus said sitting down next to Neville.

"Of course not." The two girls replied innoccently.

"You're insane."

Hermione smirked and glanced up when Harry sat next to Ginny. "Morning Harry."

"Morning Hermione, Ginny. Ron isn't coming down, he's rather mad about yesterday."

"See? I told you how he would be." Ginny said with a smile.

"What happened yesterday?" Neville asked. "Ron practically had steam coming out of his ears all night."

"I-" Hermione hesitated but then pressed on. "I broke up with him."

"Well that explains it." Seamus huffed.

Hermione ignored him then glanced at the jam infront of her. "You want any jam Seamus?" He glanced at her almost suppiciously then nodded. She handed it over being sure to do a casual brush against his hand as Neville leaned back to not get hit by the jar. Retracting her hand she glanced over at Ginny and smiled. She lifted a finger at the side of her plate at the questioning girl's gaze and wagged her finger back and forth. Nope. Wasn't Seamus, thankfully.

Breakfast was soon over and she took in a breath. Here came the real search for her mate. For a second she was overwhelmed by the fact that only four people were marked off her long list but she just grinned and beared it. If she was lucky she would find him today. Getting up from the table she walked with Ginny and Harry to their first glance seeing as Ron hadn't shown up for breakfast. That boy was going to regret it to and then they would have to listen to his stomach growl all day till lunch. She grabbed a pear quickly and stuffed it in her bag while passing by the table. There, now he couldn't complain as much and hopefully wouldn't stay upset at her for much longer.

**Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Courting Magic - chapter 2**

**Thanks for all the follows, faves, and reviews! Enjoy!**

She had taken her usual seat next to Harry and Ginny for Charms. Right before class started Ron rushed in practically collapsing onto his desk after he tripped over an extended foot in the alley, causing him to fall _up_ the stairs. The whole class had erupted in laughter at the sight.

Flitwick wasn't as nearly amused as his students but he certainly did chuckle a little at the scene. "Now, now class. Please divert your attenssion from Mr. Weasely and get out your wands to the ready." he paused to make sure everyone had their wands out then began, "Fire-Making Spell!"

"Incendio!" the class shouted flicking their wands up at the pieces of paper that had appeared for them to torch with a flick of the Professor's wand.

"Tickling Charm!" This time there was no school supplies randomly appearing.

Everyone had turned to their partner and shouted, "Rictusempra!" Immediately the class was filled with insane laughter as they all felt tickled all over. Hermione was set in a giggling fit, the first few minutes of class were always like this, going over spells from past years, and weeks of this own school year so everyone remembered them. In all honesty this had to be a favorite class for most students.

Flitwick gave them a few extra moments to clam down even when there was just a few remaining giggles being heard and then, "Disarm-Counter!" he shouted, flicking his wand from the left side of the classroom to the right.

The left shouted out the spell, "Expelliarmus!" The students on the right going, "Finite Incantatem!" Flashes of brightly colored light lit the room up before going out when the spells both accomplished there due.

The Professor continued with a few more charms before getting serious-or his version of the emotion anyways-and began teaching a new charm. Throughout the class Hermione's eyes flickered from one side of the class to the next wondering if her mate could be on the left or right side of the room. Mostly she was thinking about how she could put her materials into her pack fast and start down the stairs infront of Ginny, Ron, and Harry to brush fingers and wait to see if she felt a sudden surge of energy. She was slightly nervous as the class came to a close wether or not this really was the best course of action. What if her hand moved to fast and she sensed it but didn't know who's palm she had touched? A nervous fluttering was starting through her.

"I'll see you next class." Professor Flitwick announced bringing her back to the present. She blinked in shock that half the students were already gone. Now what? She gathered her stuff quickly and practically run out of class into the thick of students in the hall. Slipping the strap of her book bag on her shoulder she dropped her hands to press agsinst her classmates as she made her way to her next class.

Maybe she just had to touch them once and then the veela side of her would instantly recognize them after that. It seemed logical to her. She comorted herself with the thoughts heading into her Ancient Runes class.

After turning in her homework for that day she sat down silently next to another Gyfindor and a member of Ravenclaw. Their Professor, Bathsheba Babbling appeared a moment after the class was settled from her office hidden by a simple stone wall that would open up to reveal a mass of light within. Hermione simply guessed that there were lots of windows inside.

The students were asked to open their book, Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms to page 360 so they could start going over the chapter given as homework, answer any questions, and state what they should remember from this chapter-simply put, notes-then continue on with the lesson plan for that day.

While the professor began a lecture Hermione placed her hand at the corner of her desk and simply waited. The Gryfindor boy next to her as usual placed his hand there but looked up quickly at her when he felt her hand instead of the wood. She pretended to be surprised at this and muttered a quick sorry before focusing back on what Babbling was talking about, her quil made quick streaks on the parchment easily taking notes without much concentration. Another down, she mentally made another tally in her collection.

Half way through class she was realizing her fault in the current plan, she didn't have a class with everyone in school that could be her potential mate. Just wondering the halls hoping to touch skin-to-skin would only work for so long.

She drifted through her Defense Against the Dark Arts class functioning only to perform the professors instructions with a defensive spell. Hence the name of her class. They went over a quick twenty minute lecture at the end before being assigned to do an essay as homework over the new spell that they had learned in class.

By the time she got to Arithmancy she was sure she wouldn't know if she had found her mate today or not. She simply slumped into her seat, put a quil in her hand, a parchment down and started writing whatever the professor said not able to diffrentiate between necessary sentances and gibberish. Professor Vector was a boring teacher when one was half asleep she admitted silently when he finally stopped talking and the noise of chair scraping aginst stone woke her from her half-stupor.

Hermione trudged up the stairs to the common room, breezed past her friends, up a simple flight of stairs to the girls dorms, and then she was in her room. Her room with that blessed thing everyone called a bed. Shrugging off her robe she collapsed onto the bed and sunk into oblivion.

It seemed barely a minute later when a hand was on her shoulder shaking her awake.

"Hermione! Get up!" Ginny's voice filtered through to her slowly, repeating the words again and again.

She cracked an eye open to look at the girl. "Unless Voldemort is back please don't do this again." A smile appeared on Ginny's face. "How long have I been asleep?" Hermione asked, feeling somewhat refreshed from her nap. She sat up and stretched, then yawned.

"About two and a half hours. I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes."

"So that's why I was suddenly on a boat." Hermione mumbled out before yawning once again. "Damn. This being tired is starting to get irritating."

"No kidding, when you came through that door everybody mistook you for a ghost at first, and then you didn't just float through the wall and they realized who you were."

"Perfect." She rolled her shoulders back trying to get rid of the kink in her back. It didn't work and she just sighed.

"So, how did today go?" Ginny asked, perched on her bed.

"Fine, I got about thirty down." Ginny grimaced slightly at the number. Hermione had to admit it wasn't the best she could have done under the given circumstances. "Really tired too. More than usual for some reason."

Ginny rolled her eyes slightly. "Hey, I didn't expect you to find him right away so no one else in the knowing circle would either. It might take a little time, you know that. Still got plenty of time left and today isn't technically over. Plus, the reason I woke you up is dinner. You look like you need the fuel."

"How was Ron at lunch?" Hermione asked remembering how she had given the pear to Ginny after her first class since they didn't share another one for today. Tomorrow she would be in most of her classes and have the same lunch period.

"He was fine. I gave him that pear, told him it was from you." Ginny sighed. "He looked real heartbroken, but he said that he doesn't blame you. Said you couldn't help the fact that you're grandma was a veela just wished you had both known earlier so it would have made it easier on him."

"Yeah, I wish I had known before too."

"It doesn't matter now." Ginny said. "What does matter is getting something in your stomach," a finger jabbed lightly at her ribs, "I think you should eat more than usual from now on to keep your energy level up."

"I consent." Hermione pushed up from the bed and slipped the outer robe back on after picking it up from the floor. "Let's go. I'm famished."

"You're sounding like Ron." Ginny smirked over at her.

"Your brother doesn't need all that energy. I don't even know where so much food nutrition could possibly go."

"Ya got me there."

They started a conversation about the charms they had learned in, well, Charms class while walking to the great hall. Taking a seat at the Gryfindor table they started to dig into the food waiting ready for them, nice and warm. She pushed the thought of the house elves below working their buts off to prepare this. Hermione routinely had to remind herself that most house elves simply didn't want to be set free by their masters and found purpose working in the school. Besides, Dobby still got paid.

Ron was there but he didn't speak to her the whole time, unlike what he had told his sister he was probably still upset a bit. At least he understood that it wasn't because she didn't love him. Hermione began eating and it wasn't long until she felt full. She drained a glass of water to refresh herself after how fast she had eaten.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked from her left.

"Like a plump pigeon." Hermione replied with a smile that gradually faded away. "I should go, need to start my homework."

"Of course, don't stay up too late this time."

"I won't mother." Hermione grinned at her and got up from the table leaving her friends to finish without her. As she walked up the winding staircases her head spun momentarily when she looked up to see the stairs rearannging themselves again. She grabbed for the wood railing and steadied her breathing looking away. This definitely wasn't going to be a walk in the park finding her mate if she kept having these little spells. It would be best if she could find him in the next few days. It would certainly leave a lot of time for her to make him fall in love with her. Once her head had stopped spinning she continued to the Gryfindor tower and went to her dorm to collect her things before going back to the common room. The noise in there should be enough to keep her awake while she finished this. That small two hour nap hadn't done much for her.

She stared ahead at the board, not even completely sure how she had gotten to class in the first place. Hermione barely remembered even going to breakfast and waffing down her usual toast and jam along with two hard boiled eggs and some bacon.

McGonagall was holding her wand to the board that held magically scrawled chalk going over a transfiguration spell that would make the spoon infront of them a tadpole, then a bowl, and finally a toad. The process of which she was explaining how and why this happened was rather interesting. Atleast enough to hold her attention, it wasn't that she was particularly tired this morning, simply full and felt like taking a long nap. Which just wasn't going to happen. The professor had stopped talking and everyone had begun doing the spell around her. Hermione picked up her wand and repeated the words, the spoon infront of her instantly began the three stage transfiguration spell.

"Very good, Miss Granger." McGonagall said when she stopped beside her desk. She leaned a bit closer, "How are you doing today?"

"Fine. Thank you." Hermione replied politely.

The professor smiled at that answer and continued going around the room checking that everyone had done it right. In the case they didn't she told them what they were doing wrong. Soon though the class had been pressed into the next spell along with assigned reading.

Hermione had plenty of times to check other male students walking to her next class considering it was down in the dungeons. It was a long way down the hall along the courtyard, back into the castle, going all the way to the opposite corner from which Gryfindor toward stood, then she was going down a spiral staircase with no bars as students moved up and down the thin walkway. She was used to it now, but the first time she had to come down here all the way back in first year she had felt like she would fall off. If she had it wouldn't have been a long fall since there was hardly any opening in the center of the winding staricase. She had measured it third year, aproximately fifteen inches across.

Hermione continued down a hall when her feet landed beyond the last stair. She was aware of Ginny, Harry, Ron, and a quarter of the other Gryfindors in their seventh year all going to the same destination, Potions. A good amount of them had chosen not to take the class because it was either not part of their required learning, and not liking the teacher. She didn't really see the problem though. Sure, Professor Snape was harsh on his pupils but all you had to do to pass was memorize ingriedent lists, the instruction order in making potions, and follow what the board generally said. There was also notes for when he gave lectures but those were fewer in the seventh year so far.

She pushed open the creaky wooden door, stepping into the classroom and quickly found her seat near the back. Ginny sat to her left, followed by Harry. Ron sat to her right but turned to Neville instead of her.

Hermione ignored this knowing it would stop in a few days time. She got out her quil and parchment ready for any sudden lecture or as her friends would say, 'heaven forbid a pop quiz'. Snape was notorious for it, and always at the exact moment when even not all star pupils had done the required reading. That was partially why she always read ahead of her classmates. The other reason being she liked to learn. She had finished with the actual class textbook and had started reading more on the subject in the library already.

The dungeon door banged shut signaling the arrival of the professor. "Stop doodling Miss Taveri." he said while passing by the Hufflepuff's desk. It seemed someone always got in trouble for something every beginning of class. Hermione mused for a moment how that was possible. Upon reaching the front of the room Snape turned around, surveying the class. "Wipe that grin off your face, Miss Granger." She blinked in surprise not even noticing that she had done that and quickly made the expression on her face neutral. Those cold eyes stopped on a pair of Ravenclaws and they turned away from looking at Hermione back to the front of the class. "Look at the board for todays instructions, and follow them, exactly." he said speaking slowly, in that usual clipped manner of his.

Hermione watched him turn around-waiting for the billowing cape effect-and go to his desk before looking at the board. She pulled out her cauldron and started on the potion. Harry and Neville had went to gather the ingredients for the five of them. When Harry came back and handed hers over she began going over the instructions soon chopping, grinding, and slicing ingredients as told.

Her arm brushed against Ron as she stirred the mixture clockwise and he made a short snort like sound while clearly moving a couple inches out of range for when her elbow came back to the spot. Hermione frowned at him and the action but didn't let it take away from what she was doing.

"Just ignore him." Ginny whispered to her.

"I am." Hermione replied quickly, retracting her hand from the brim of the cauldron to gather up some thiny sliced plant root before putting it in and starting to stir, this time counter clockwise. She kept her head down looking at her potion when she heard the inevitable sound of footsteps coming over. Should have kept her mouth shut.

"Weasely," Professor Snape marked his next target. "must I remind you again, not to talk in class?"

"No Professor." Ginny replied somehow the girl kept her voice from faltering unlike most students in her situation.

"Then make sure it doesn't happen again." She saw him glance at her friend's cauldron from the corner of her eye. "Even the time instructions must be followed exactly as _written_ on the board." The footsteps continued to stop shortly infront of her own mixture. Hermione refrained from glancing up at him hoping he wasn't here to scold her as well. When he didn't say anything and moved towards Ron and Neville to start critiquing them she smiled softly. She hadn't done a single instruction wrong.

Once done with what the potion required of her for this class she stuck it in a vial and copied down todays instructions from the board on a piece of parchment. She walked up to the front desk and left her vial there with the few others that had gotten done a few minutes early, but, it looked like not all were correct. Hermione turned from the front of the classroom and made her way back to her seat as more students got up to give the professor the finished product.

In a few minutes they were dismissed and she did what she had done since yesterday, making sure to give her Slytherin classmates an extra tap to recheck. She went to lunch with a smile on her face brighter than the sun.

"You're too happy." Ginny stated.

"It wasn't any of them." Hermione replied gleefully. "That's half of their whole House down."

"Keep it up then."


	4. Chapter 4

**Courting Magic - chapter 3**

**Early Release! Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and follows (it went over a hundred! *happy dances until she trips on foot*) again. They make my day brighter ^.^**

She sat next to the windowsill, looking down into the courtyard the room she had been assigned back in first year overlooked. Hermione sighed, pressing her face against the stone gazing out as raindrops plopped down one by one.

Optimism wasn't the key ingredient to finding her mate it seemed, and quite honestly she was a bit low on it. Perhaps her mate was in Hogsmeade after all. She had found a book detailing a veela and how they would always find their mate. She wasn't sure about that always though when she first picked it up in the library and started reading. Upon further inspection though it was mostly true, the veela would find her mate in places she went to work, school, or hung out almost as a general rule. The catch was that not all the mates returned the affections causing the veela to die seven days after being rejected by heartbreak if the mate didn't have a change in heart.

Now that was depressing. She blew softly on the glass pane and reached out with a finger to draw a heart before going on to slash it into ribbons. It had completely rewired her way of looking at her situation. She had months so there really was no point in telling her mate about the veela part and asking for them essentially to be together forever before she was completely sure they loved her. If not then she could die of heartbreak. Which she really didn't look forward too. Maybe it'll be a secret admirer or someone who already loves her. It would make this a lot easier. Still, she had a problem.

It had been a week and a half since McGonagall told her the news and she hadn't come across her mate.

After going to Care of Magical Creatures last week and effectively cancelling all classmates in the course she had felt even more elated then when she had left Potions earlier that day. From that time on she continued to do her trick until she had ruled out everybody in her classes plus the occasional people she brushed by in the hall. Her veela side seemed to keep track of who was ticked off the list as well. She had gone to the library that weekend not only to research more into the veela side of things but to learn more, which she did.

McGonagall had said it in more simple words, 'wanting to defend your mate wether they are right or wrong'. In reality it was a bit more complicated than just that. Once she found her mate wether she told him of the circumstances or not she would develop the drive to for one; get rid of any competition, stick up for him when someone said the smallest thing against him, and, of course, become territorial of her mate. Might as well throw a dragon in there to add to her growing list of non-normal activites she would begin to experience.

Out of all the things she had read though, she was most concerned about how once finding her mate, and not telling them immedietly that she was a veela her energy levels would decrease even further. Which meant while she was trying to make the guy love her she would continuously have to be touchy feely the whole time before announcing it to him. That, or just eat a lot of food, and she already ate quite a bit now.

_If _that time came. In the short span of a week and a half she had gone completely all out in her search. She had knocked the Houses Slytherin and Gryfindor off her list for good. There was only around fifty in Hufflepuff she still nedded to check and a mere dozen from Ravenclaw. Sixty two students left. She should be happy about this but it made her gut twist hard. What if none of them were her mate? Then what was she suppose to do?

Go to Hogsmeade and look there would have to be her first option but if that ended up being fruitless then she would be back at square one. There was also the slim chance that her mate was on the other side of the world if she couldn't find him around here.

The door to the room opened slowly. "Hermione?" Ginny's voice filtered in as her friend softly closed the heavy piece of wood back behind her before advancing to her friend. "Why don't you come down and hang with us for the rest of the day? George and Fred sent a letter earlier saying how they were going to sneak in for a surprise visit."

She turned around at hearing her friend so close and Ginny gave a small gasp. Hermione's eyes were red and puffy from crying an hour earlier still, thin tear trails stained her cheeks, and she looked rather pale. "Oh, Fred and George huh? I can check them too then, like a metal detector."

"A what?" Ginny asked confused by the muggle world refrence.

"Nevermind." Hermione muttered and started turning back to her window.

"Umm excuse me," Ginny poked her hard in the shoulder. "That wasn't a request earlier that was an order. You'll find you're mate. I know you will. So stop being glum and have fun with your friends okay? We need to celebrate how fast you're going through the school somehow."

Hermione brightened at the aspect of it being a sort of celebration. "Will there be cake?'

"Anything for the veela." Ginny replied with a grin.

"Ginny!" Hermione shout-whispered. "I told you not to call me that, even in the dorms. I don't want any chance of this getting out."

"Calm down there." Hermione took a breath as Ginny instructed. "Now, come on. It's just going to be Harry, Ron, and the twins down there everybody else is wandering the castle at this time of day even if it is raining."

She blew out the air she had sucked in a second later. "You checked?"

"I touched everyone where skin wasn't visible." Ginny said with a smile. Hermione gave her a stop-with-the-innuendos look causing her friend to laugh. "Move it." Ginny grabbed her arm, pulling her from the spot and they went down to the commons. Hermione hurrying to brush the traces of tears from her face.

"There she is!" Fred's voice seemed to echo around the large room. "Ginny told us all what happened in letters and gave us updates."

"So, out of this sixty two batch left. Who are you hoping it will be, and who do you not want it to be?" George said from his seat on the table.

"I.. don't really know. I haven't thought about it." Hermione said as she walked towards the group and sat down on a cushioned chair.

"It'll probably be the last person you expect."

"Or a toad." Fred added.

Ginny scowled from her seat next to Harry. "Stop being ridiculous. Don't listen to them Hermione."

"It could be someone I don't expect though." She mused before leaning slightly forward. "Okay, hands out you two." The Weasly twins each extended a hand and she rested a palm in both. After waiting a few seconds she shook her head and slumped back in her seat with a sigh. "I should go and check the last few instead of sitting here. Maybe I'll come back bouncing with energy even."

"Then we could have a real celebration." Geroge said. "Invite everyone back to the dorm without telling them what it's about and just go wild!" Hermione laughed at that. It was refreshing to have these two around again they always kept everything interesting plus they did throw the best parties.

"Don't you still have classes today?" Fred asked.

"McGonagall saw me this morning at breakfast and pulled me aside to tell me to go get more sleep and that eating pounds of food simply wasn't going to cut it today. So, she cut me from her class for today."

"She was a wreck this morning."

"Thank you Ronald. That makes me feel sooo much better."

"What about you three then?" George leaned forward looking from Harry, Ron, to Ginny. "You have her class too right?"

"I convinced McGonagall to let me stay with Hermione to make sure she went to her other classes and if she wasn't in condition to go and tell them about it." Ginny said with a smile.

Harry had a very differrent answer though. "Me and Ron used some gum taffies to get out of class." He had a little smirk on his face.

"Nice!" Fred patted him on the back.

Hermione smiled softly. "I'm going to go get my stuff for Potions. Want to come Ginny or you staying here with the ditchers?"

"Owch!" Fred exclaimed with a laugh.

Ginny giggled but got up, "I think I'll go to class. I don't have homework I need to catch up on." she gave Harry a meaningful glance to which he smiled awkwardly.

After getting their things and telling the boys bye as they left the commons they headed for the dungeons.

Ginny sat quitely to her left not making a single sound throughout class while they finished up a potion from last class. Her friend had been careful ever since Professor Snape had scolded her a week ago about talking.

The whole process of the current potion had gone on for three whole class sessions. Hermione was putting her finished potion into a vial when the room rang with a loud boom. Everyone turned to look at the direction of the explosion and saw the poor unfortunate soul of Hufflepuff covered in soot start to get yelled at.

"What are you doing? It says to chop the drakolean skin not twist it. Your potion is all wrong, and it shouldn't have blown up! Tell me what you added to this exactly, the Frivoli Cuptar does not have any explosive properties in it." The Hufflepuff opened his mouth to start listing ingredients and coughed soot onto the Professor's robes. Hermione couldn't stop the giggle from coming out until a second after the sound had passed her lips. Professor Snape turned to look at her coldly, "You can stay after class Miss Granger and help Gilligan clean this mess up." He turned his attension to the rest of the class. "I expect the rest of you to have your potion on my desk in the next two minutes."

The class jumped into motion with getting the last element of their potions done or vialing them as well before hurrying out the door. "Sorry," Ginny hissed to Hermione after coming back from the front desk to put her own vial on it. "I'm in enough trouble as it is with him and I need to take this time to study for Charms. See you tonight." The red haired girl was out of there before Hermione could even say wait.

She bit her lip cleaning down her own desk before going over to help the Hufflepuff with his mess. Atleast there wasn't another class coming in anytime soon.

"Don't use your wands." The Professor said when the Hufflepuff was about to do a cleaning spell. "You screwed up the potion from the beginning Gilligan and you will clean it up no matter how much time it takes."

The Hufflepuff gawked at him. "I have class in thirty minutes Professor-"

"Then you better get working."

Hermione remained silent throughout this whole exchange grabbing a cloth and bucket of water to start scrubbing at the desk. The layer of soot was quite impressive for a non-explosive potion, an inch think atleast. Seamus would have been proud of the Hufflepuff, and asked to challenge him. Hermione smiled a bit at the thought.

"You may leave Gilligan." Snape snapped two seconds after this action, and fifteen minutes after having spoken with him about finishing the task.

The Hufflepuff didn't bother to question the sudden change just put his soot covered cloth in a bucket and went running out into the daylight as if a banshee was on his heels.

Hermione frowned and looked over at the Professor just as he started to turn back to his work. "Professor, can I-"

"No spells Granger."

With a sigh she turned back to the task at hand. Once she cleared up a foot of space on the desk she hopped onto it setting the bucket on a seat nearby. Leaning over with the cloth she scrubbed at the wood to collected the soot and then put it in the bocket to rinse what she could off. Hermione repeated this action countless times until her eyelids fluttered. She pinched her arm quickly to keep her awake since she only had one small spot left to go. This was completely counter-productive she should be out there looking for her mate but she was stuck in here and her muscles were turning sluggish on her for not going to lunch. Dropping the cloth into the bucket for the last time with a small splash she really felt like just stretching out on the clean desk and going to sleep.

Instead she picked up the bucket and slipped off of the desk going over to the sinks she dumped the black water in and watched it swirl down into the drain. Setting the bucket down she went back to get the one the Hufflepuff had left and emptied it as well putting it next to the one she had used.

"It's done Professor." Hermione said looking over at him to see he was still at his desk going over a stack of papers. She guessed it was the essays that had been turned in at the beginning of class about another herb and it's properties.

"You still have a potions vial for me." he said without looking up.

Oh, that was right, she had forgotten to put it on his desk earlier. She turned and got the vial and walked up the five stairs of the raised platform to get to his desk. The simple task left her about ready to collapse. She leaned against the desk to stop from falling over and stretched her hand out to him. He reached out to take it from her asking something but she didn't hear it as her heart had started to pound in her ears telling her she was about to passout like she had on Sunday after watching the Quiditch match in the thundering storm.

She felt a brush against her fingers and the feeling passed instantly. The urge to crawl in bed for a quick ten minute nap before her next class like usual wasn't there anymore. Her whole body felt alive as if zapped by a power cord. At first she couldn't move when the feeling coursed through her but a voice drew her back to the present.

"Granger?"

Hermione blinked at her Potions Professor somehow hiding the shock from her face. "Y-yes?"

"If you're sick you should go to the infirmary." As he talked she found her eyes drawn to his lips that seemed to be in a permanent scowl all the time. Oh, she just wanted to lean forward and capture them in hers, push her tongue past them and into his mouth-No! Yes, whispered her veela side coaxing her on. She dug her fingers into the table to stop herself from moving toward him, her mate.

"I'm fine. Just been having a little sickness all week it comes and goes. I just remembered I was suppose to tutor a first year. Bye S-Professor!" She spoke in a rush before spinning around, racing toward her desk to get her things and get out, out Out! Of that room. She ran down the hall hearing the door bang shut behind her. Her feet pounded up the stairs and she was thankful that no one was over on this side of the castle at this time so she made it to the surface soon. Upon leaving the staircase she leaned against the nearby wall breathing heavily. She was surprised at how fast she had moved up here, but then again...

Severus Snape was her mate! And she had almost kissed him back there. Which in any other case she was sure would have her suspended but since she was a veela it simply would be like, surprise! I'm a veela and you're my mate! Yeah, I'm shocked as well. It made perfect sense now as to why none of the male students had been her mate after all that searching. He hadn't been a student! Looking in the wrong place that's what had happened but... how was she supposed to break this news to her Potions Professor?

Okay, slow down Hermione Jean Granger. You don't want to tell him yet because then the seven day rule comes into affect and you're going to need a lot more time then seven days to get Severus to fall in love with you. Wait. How was she supposed to get him to fall in love with her? With another student it was very simple to go up to them and ask them out, go on dates, gradually have a relationship form. She knew Severus was a good teacher and stuck to the rules and one of those rules was not dating students. Even though she was of age.

Why did her life always have to get so complicated?

Sighing she smiled a moment later not able to suppress it any longer. She didn't have to search any more! Hermione launched herself from the wall and went running down the hall to her next class.

Her day seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye. Soon she found herself back up in her room having gone tearing up the stairs past the startled students below in the commons barely a minute ago. The door swung open swiftly then closed and she felt arms wrap around her as Ginny started babbling,

"Oh my god! You found him didn't you? Today! I told you you would didn't I?" Ginny bounced around while still holding onto Hermione causing the veela to begin laughing. "I heard the Patil twins talking about how you were showing off again in class and knew you must be feeling better than usual. Then with the way you came streaming in here like that I just knew you had done it! Now," Ginny got ahold of Hermione's shoulders in the midst of her spinning and sat her down on the bed. "who is it?" The girl's face was bright eagerly waiting for a name to pass Hermione's lips.

She just looked up at Ginny for a second. "Promise me you won't tell anyone, and I mean _anyone_ about what I am about to say." Ginny's bouncing on the heels of her feet came to a slow stop. "Not Ron, Harry, your family, _nobody_."

"I promise." Ginny sat down on the bed next to Hermione, "but how come? What's wrong with this Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff guy?"

"Um, well, one it's not a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff." Hermione began to have second thoughts about telling even Ginny about who it was. "He's a Slytherin."

"What? But I thought you checked all of them. Oh, is the reason you don't want me to tell the others because he's in fifth year? What's the limit on the year they can be anyways?" Ginny questioned as an afterthought.

It would have been a good one for her to look up had she not already found her mate. "No it's nothing like that." Hermione said quickly, "It's probably seventeen so sixth year." It seemed an accurate guess to her. The main issue was the opposite of that matter anyways. She realized then she didn't even know exactly how old her mate was.

"So who did you double pat?"

"Pat?" She was confused by Ginny's question for a moment. "Oh, it's... my mate," Hermione found herself having a hard time getting the words out. "He, my mate is Sss-" she fought herself on what to call him like she had back in the classroom. Atleast she hadn't given in to calling him something other than Professor that would have been embaressing. Her tongue finally worked and settled on what she hadn't let out before. "Severus."


	5. Chapter 5

**Courting Magic - chapter 4**

**Hi again everyone! Thanks for reading the story and I hope you love this chapter as much as the others!**

Ginny's mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water. She become quite for a few seconds then asked, "Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded her head before beginning to speak. "Positive. After all that cleaning I had to do after he dismissed Gilligan, gosh Gin I was more tired then I can ever remember being. I had forgotten to put my potions vial on the desk and he asked me to bring it to him. So I went up to the desk, and you know how there's steps. It felt like a million to me when I got to the desk I was about to pass out. Severus just put his hand out for me to put the vial in so I did, and my fingers just brushed his open palm and-wham! I just suddenly had all this energy flowing into me. It's unmistakable. He's my mate I can feel my bones calling out for him right now."

Ginny was still staring at her after she told her everything to confirm that it was true. "W-well, what did he do?"

"What?" Hermione asked confused.

Ginny's eyes widened further. "You didn't tell him? And he didn't feel anything?'

"No, the books say only the veela feels it. The mate is oblivious to the whole energy sapping thing unless they are told, and even then they don't feel any change. Besides, Ginny why on earth would I tell him? I mean, I looked sick he would have written it off as some weird delusion or something."

"That's..." Ginny bit her lip after a moment gnawing at it thinking. She sighed and shrugged, defeated. "Yeah, he probably would." She was silent for a solid minute before exploding. "I just can't believe it! I-it's," she threw her hands up in the air. "It's Severus Snape. I mean he's your teacher! Is it even possible for these things to happen?" She jumped up from the bed and started pacing infront of Hermione, who was thinking her friend was getting a little to worked up about it when she was the one who would be with him for the rest of her life.

"McGonagall didn't mention any cases where the veela ended up being a mate with a professor." Hermione said softly, "Just students from other houses."

Ginny stopped infront of her for a moment. "So you don't even have another situation to go off of? To figure out how to go around doing this?" Hermione shook her head. "W-what if he says no even when you don't look all sick?" Hermione cringed back into her bed not wanting to think about it. Ginny dropped next to her. "I don't want you to go away Hermione." She got up a second later, pacing again. "Why couldn't your veela pick someone more... I don't know simpler to date and actually get to know?"

"It's not like I decided this Ginny."

"I know! Which is why it's so unfair! I mean, have you ever seen Snape smile? Even once? And you have to spend the rest of your life with the slime ball. I can't think of a more miserable person to be with-" She stopped abrutly when a hand clamped around her wrist and twisted so she fell on the bed next to the veela.

Hermione had turned to face her as she fell, hand still wrapped firmly around Ginny's wrist. A soft growl filled her chest traveling up to her throat to slip between her bared teeth as she glared down at her with a look that would have even made a baskilisk slither away in terror. "That's my mate you're talking about Ginny. You don't know him or who he is behind being your professor, and neither do I. So," she bit out the word in a sort of bark. "don't you go presuming what he is or isn't."

Ginny blinked up at her, true fear in her eyes. She nodded her head quickly. "I'm sorry I just got so worked up. Could you let go of me, please?"

Her words seemed to snap Hermione out of it and she let go of her wrist backing up against the headboard staring at her friend in horror. "I-Ginny, I didn't mean too,"

"It's okay. You told me before and so did McGonagall. She figured you would confess everything to me first and she told me to choose my words carefully when speaking about your mate once you knew who it was. I should've been more tactful." She was silent, and with Hermioe not speaking back it took a few moments for Ginny to get up the courage to speak again. "I just wish it would have been easier on you." Hermione just nodded at her friend's words. "It's just, what about you?"

"Me?" Hermione questioned finally looking up from her knees to look into her friend's eyes. "What about me?"

Ginny sighed realizing something Hermione had obviously bothered to not think about. Maybe she had thought it wasn't an issue. "I mean you. Your mate has to love you so they can say yes, so obviously you have to make Severus fall for you, but, that's just one side of the equation. He's years your senior. Are... are you even attracted to him? Would you be able to do more than just manipulate him into liking you? It's unfair to him." Hermione was still looking at her confused. "The veela is a loving creature but it still takes time to get to that point in a relationship. I don't want to see you being miserable either. So, Hermione, I don't think the issue here is just getting him to love you. you have to feel the same way." Ginny leaned forward, resting a hand on Hermione's knee. "Can you love him the way he deserves to be loved? Make him less miserable."

The question kept repeating in her head well into the night. She hadn't thought about it. Quite honestly she hadn't wanted to think about it even before she knew who her mate was. She knew she wasn't the sort to get into a one-sided relationship. It wasn't good for either party. Her fingers clentched. The first one wasn't an issue. A veela was always attracted to her mate physically and, if she was being honest with herself, she had liked certain aspects about him even before this. He was devoted to his craft and she admired him for that. Unlike most students she had no problem with the way he taught them. Those were all mental things though rather than physical. She did remember marveling at the color of his eyes the first time she had seen them, but that went away when he looked at her with a hard gaze back in first year telling her, 'put your hand down you silly girl'.

She bit her lip, staring at Ginny's bed across from hers. Those words from long ago had crushed her. If it wasn't for those syllables she may have grown to have a crush on him, and his cape, and his shirt with the many buttons. Even now she still wondered how he could deal with that shirt in the morning it had to take getting dressed longer than it should be. She licked at her lips. Getting dressed. Undressing...

She sat up quickly and shook her head to chase the thoughts out of her mind. After a moment she sighed and got up out of bed to begin changing back into her school robes. Slipping her feet into a pair of plain shoes she made her way out of the dorms down into the commons not able to stay there anymore especially when she was this restless. It hadn't been a problem for so long that she felt she no longer knew how to deal with it. She supposed it was partly because she had gotten the burst of energy from Severus earlier that day. With a glance at the clock she confirmed this. It was still that day, just a few minutes until it became the next though.

Hermione opened the door to which the Fat Lady stirred just as she got out of the commons and closed it.

"What are you doing up Miss Granger?" the portrait asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm just going out for a quick walk to clear my head. I'll be back though." Hermione replied hoping the woman wouldn't demand her to get back into the house and that it was too late to be wondering the corridors at this time.

So she was pleasantly surprised when the Fat Lady nodded. "You go take that walk. It's good to see your not looking so unwell today. Just don't get caught by Filch."

"I won't." Hermione promised knowing the portait was talking about not letting house points be deducted for this little outing. "I'll see you in the morning." she said with a soft smile before turning around and walking along the stairs.

She had no paticular destination in mind and the library was closed, not to mention a more frequented place by Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris. Her mind spun as she got out her wand and put a muffling charm on her shoes so they wouldn't echo when she walked. She needed to find a place she could think with some fresh air instead of the stuffy feel in the castle. Hagrid's hut would have been her go-to place if it wasn't so late. She didn't want to bother him or get him into any trouble.

Hermione found herself going up a flight of stairs that seemed to be never ending until she got to the top of the astronomy tower. She breathed in the air and walked slowly to the railing, trembling hands reaching out to wrap around the metal and she glanced down as the memory of Albus Dumbledore dying near this spot ran through her mind. Harry had seen it happen and told the two of them that Snape had been the one to deal the killing curse to the beloved Headmaster.

It had been later revealed from his body that the Headmaster had been dying slowly from a curse specifically located around his hand, and that the Potions Professor had been the one too slow the process and make it less painful for him. When ruled by the courts and after listening to the portraits in Dumbeldore's old office tell them of everything they been sworn to secrecy about the incident they ruled him as inoccent of murder. Since it had been Dumbledore to say to kill him if it came to that. Like a mercy killing.

She slumped on the rails letting them hold her up knowing that even if the rails looked old they were still strong. Back then she had been relieved when Snape hadn't really betrayed the rest of them, his loyalty was something she had come to admire that day. It had been weeks after the battle that they let him out of the hospital after being bitten by Lord Voldemort's snake.

Nothing had changed when he came back to school though even after nearly dying, he was still the same man. Still had those cold calculating eyes. The only reason he was aloud to remain as a Professor was that all the other teachers had insisted he keep his position, and Slughorn had stepped down to go back to living at home with his weird picture trophies of students. Which Hermione had always found creepy.

The new Headmistress Kathlyn Lavigin even when berated by parents who didn't quite believe him as inoccent held the same position as the rest of the professors. The woman had been appointed to the school by the wizarding council to keep order and was in a way elected by the mass of the population for the position.

Finally her mind went away from the tower and eveything that had happened because of the events that had taken place there two years ago. It went back to her real issue. How was she going to make this relationship with Severus work? Even before that she had to figure out a way to be around him more than a few times a week for a couple hours. Not only for the energy thing but so she could get to know him better and get him to notice her. The real reason she didn't want to tell him about being a veela and mate was because then he might just feel obligated to say yes. She didn't want an answer not based on love.

Everyone had thought him evil before and he happened to be a turning point in the war not to mention the sacrificies he had made for the Order. No one really knew him or how he would possibly react to about anything. Perhaps Dumbledore would have but it wasn't possible to ask him now.

She ran a hand through her hair in confusion. How was she suppose to spend more time with him so she could possibly start on the relationship she would be in until she died? Which hopefully didn't end in eight months and a half. She racked through her mind for something she could use. He was the Potions Professor. So... something to do with Potions then? But she already got top grades in the class. It's not like she was someone that needed tutoring.

A wave of exhuastion fell over her and she leaned further down to pressed her forehead against the rail. She really needed to work out how she would be staying awake for the days she couldn't get in close contact with him, and she couldn't depend on being able to touch him in class either. He didn't always come to the back of the room. Probably because she would help the others of her table when they had questions or wanted something checked.

Her head shot up a moment later her eyes glowing. The Invigoration Draught! She remembered making it back in fifth year. It was suppose to energize the person that drank it. Not only that, but she didn't have any the supplies so she would have to go to Snape for them.

She blinked after a moment and she dropped her head back down. That was just for one day though. She sighed loudly.

"Miss Granger? What are you doing up at this hour of the morning?" A soft voice came from the direction of the stairs.

Hermione whirled around cursing the sound she had made as she did. She recognized that voice from when she had come back for her seventh year it wasn't one you could forget especially after that greeting everyone had received at the start of school. "I-I couldn't sleep. I'll get right back to my dorms now though. Sorry Headmistress Lavigin."

The old woman just smiled at her bemused. "I thought I told all the students to just call me Kathlyn or Lav." She moved from the stairs with an odd grace to stop infront of Hermione her silver hair falling down to her midback in a single wave. She peered at the Gryfindor girl with sharp honey eyes that never missed a detail of what was going on around her. Or that's what the students said about her. "Something is troubling you at this late hour. It's best to tell others so they can help you dear." The right corner of her lip curved up the left unable to simply because it was there no longer.

Every witch and wizard seemed to have a battle scar of some type from the war. Hermione was always left wondering what curse or spell for that matter would leave a scar like that though. "It's nothing important." Hermione lied smoothly.

The eyes followed her every movement before the Headmistress stepped back to the side so Hermione could see the stairs beyond her. She had to know it wasn't the truth to let her go so easily. The Headmistress was known for letting kids go that had so obviously ditched class. It acted like a guilt trip for most and they never did it again. "Very well. Just remember that me and the staff are here to help you with _anything_ you will ever need."

She nodded her head and slipped past the older witch to the stairs. Hermione took the steps two at a time in her haste to get down. Anything. That was right. Students that did their own projects or research would go to their respective Professors and ask them for help or to confirm certain aspects, and many other things. She was simply making the Draughts for... well, her own health. Snape had seen her and said she looked sick so if she went to him and asked for him to do something as simple as supervise her on the potion he would do it. She couldn't just mess up on a potion when it was to help her health.

It was the perfect solution.

Now all she had to do was get to her dorms without running into the caretaker. She had kept away from him getting here so it shouldn't be hard. Still she could feel her steps becoming heavy. The energy drain was finally catching up with her again.

She was walking along a corridor when she heard foosteps advancing in her direction and she froze looking into the gloom around her the large windows to her left doing nothing to help light the place since it was approaching the new moon. Perhaps it would keep whoever it was from seeing her though. At least it wasn't Filch he always carried a lmap with him and she would have known if his damned cat had caught sight of her. That creature hissed like a demon. She edged herself closer to the hanging portaits on the right wall.

"Lumos!"

She squinted at the sudden bright light even as her heart beat faster and the veela reared up at the commanding voice.

When her eyes had adjusted to the light she could see Professor Snape standing in front of her, looking down at her with those piercing dark eyes. "What could possibly be your reason for being out of the dorms at this hour Miss Granger?" He said it as if he had caught other students wondering the corridors tonight (or perhaps this morning) as well.

Hermione had to fight to steady her breathing at him being so close. "I, I was just heading back." she said choosing her words carefully so he would hopefully let her be on her way. Fighting down the blush at her stutter. How was it that she couldn't act normally in front of him anymore after finding out he was her mate? Well, duh, being her mate was a good enough reason for her to be nervous.

Still she should have known he woldn't let her go as easily as Kathlyn had. "So you've already acomplished the mischeif you've been up too for tonight? What exactly have you been doing Miss Granger?"

She took a step back at his accusing tone even though she had no reason to be afraid. A snippet from a book entered her mind about the veela only ever being submissive to their mate. Once more she cursed the veela inside her. Couldn't it leave her alone for a moment and let her control her own life? "I haven't been doing anything Professor." Why did it hurt so much whenever she didn't say his name? "I just went up to the astronomy tower for fresh air and to think. I was having trouble sleeping and thought a stroll would help."

"Has it?" He asked still glaring down at her.

Her blood ran cold with that gaze. How on earth was she suppose to change it to something that softened at the sight of her with endless love in the depths? "It has." she replied evenly raising her head to look up at him forcing herself not to flinch away. If she did he would just throw away her early comments without a second thought. She waited calmly for him to dismiss her in a gruff voice.

Instead she felt her face heat up slightly as his hand moved up to lie across her forehead. He frowned as if he had tasted acid. "You have a fever, and yet you are still galavanting around in the cold air. Come." he moved his hand away and motioned for her to follow.

Hermione let a small bit of breath she had been holding escape in a whoosh when he turned around. Her feet were already following him and she found herself wanting to go whereever he went no matter what, and that wasn't the veela whispering in her ear. Oh, no, the damn thing wanted her to jump him in the hallway here, right now. Shoving it down and telling it to shut the hell up she hurried for a moment so she could walk by his side to wherever he was taking her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Courting Magic - chapter 5**

**Sorry for the delay everyone. I'll make a bet with you, you'll love this chapter it has the most Severus Hermione interaction and bonus, they are alone for a long duration of the time.**

"Professor? The infirmary is in the other direction." Hermione pointed out after they had been walking silently for a few minutes in the dark after he had put the light on his wand out.

"Early morning is the only time the nurse in there sleeps." Snape replied passively as if they were talking about the weather.

"But, where are we going then?" When Snape gave her a cold look out of the corner of his eye she quickly tacked on, "Professor." His gaze drew away from her to the hall infront of them that they had just gone down some stairs to get to.

"Use your eyes Miss Granger. You don't recognize my workplace after having to clean up the mess the other day?" He opened the door to his classrom after having said that and sweeped in ahead of her going right toward his closest of in-class supplies. "I thought you were suppose to be the brightest witch of your age." He said the words so sarcastically that she found herself having to respond even though she didn't want to open her mouth incase she said something weird to him. Like about the veela thing. It didn't seem to have any opinion on her telling him or not though. The only good thing out of this so far.

"I _am_ the brightest witch of my age." she snapped back.

Professor Snape made a snide comment from within the storage room, "Don't be cocky." The effect of the words seemed to be muffled as if he was behind another wall but it still came accross crystal clear to her.

Hermione bit her lip, frowning before muttering, "That mess was made by Gilligan not me. You should have made him finish it."

"He would have taken too long to get it done."

She glanced up quickly when she heard his voice so clearly to see he was infront of her again. That was fast. I wonder what else he would be fast at, her inner veela questioned from beyond the cage she had created for it that seemed to be working for now. She pushed the innapropriate thought away before realizing something. Her eyes flickered up to look into his. Had he just complimented her indirectly?

He pushed the vial he held in his hands toward her, "Drink this, wait ten minutes, then head back to your dorm."

She took it from him glancing down at the vial but it was to dark to see much of the qualities. Hermione raised the thin glass to her lips and drained it quickly making a small gag noise as she brought it away from herself. Why did medicine always have to taste bad? Even the supposedly cherry flavor syrup stuff her mom would give to her was horrible, even more so because you expected it to taste well, like fruit.

Snape had made his way to the other side of the room making a quick comment on her reaction of the medicine. "There's a glass beneath the left sink." He had taken up a quil at his desk having sat down and started writing on a plain sheet of paper.

Hermione blinked looking over at him almost quizically. He had given her the medicine would it really be such more of an effort to go get the water for her? Then again, he wasn't here working in the infirmary where it was expected to take care of the patient. Still, she wished he would have. Biting at her lip she told herself to stop it. If he knew about the mate thing and was in love with her it would be a different story, surely.

She hopped off the table walking over towards the sink he had told her about. Ugh, all she wanted to do was just go up the steps to his desk and sit in his lap to cuddle while he did whatever work he was currently doing. Place little kisses on any exposed flesh she could get to.

While opening the cabinet beneath the sink she smacked herself in the head to get rid of the thoughts. There was absolutely no reason for her to be acting like they were already together, or atleast continuously wanting to act like they were. Besides probably freaking him out and having to go over rigorous questioning to her actions henceforth. She rubbed at her head lightly wishing she hadn't just done that as it started pounding. Crouching to grab the glass on the bottom shelf she stood back up and turned on the tap.

It was then she noticed the rasping of quil on paper had stopped. She glanced up over at the desk her stomach doing little flips when her eyes met his. Her breath quickened for a moment and she forced herself to swallow to hide that small fact. It felt weird to do so since her throat was dry and she quickly pushed the glass beneath the sink to fill with water not able to tear her gaze from his that seemed to pin her there.

Why was he staring at her like that?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his lips begin to move. "Hitting one's self is considered a sign of insanity in some cultures Miss Granger. At the very least delusion. Please refrain from doing such actions in my classroom even if class is not in session."

She found herself giving a hesitstant nod while her fingers switched the tap back off and she raised the glass to her lips for a sip, feeling the taste of mecicine slowly disapear from the fresh spring water. Were his pipes connected to an natural aquifer? She found herself wondering trying to find something to distract herself from his presence. As he turned back to his papers she remembered what she had wanted to ask him.

"Professor?" She questioned after taking another sip from the glass rather liking the cool water running down her throat. It helped her body feel less hot not to mention soothed her sore throat. She wouldn't have noticed she was getting sick if it wasn't for him pointing it out to her. Hermione waited for him to look up from his desk. "I was thinking, because of the spells I've been having of late. If it would be best to make a few Invigoration Draughts? I kind of passed out last Sunday and I would like to stop it from happening again. So, I was wondering if you could help me get some made just like supervise and have access to the ingredients. It would also just be good practice for my potion making skills as well."

Severus was looking at her with his usual steely gaze. "Are you actually executing the practice of asking to go into my store room instead of sneaking in to get ingredients for some obscene potion?" She flinched visibly at those words and she noticed his brow raise in question. He had to be reffering to second year when Harry, Ron, and her had made a batch of Polyjuice Potion. It made the drinker look like another person, all you needed was to add a hair from the person into it before taking the drink. She remembered it tasting especialy foul as well. "As for supervising I suggest doing what most of the other students do," Hermione figured out pretty easily that the Slytherins were not part of this most before he even finished the sentance, "contact Slughorn and ask him to come to the school to supervise. He seems to like coming here not only for that but for stealing from the green houses."

"I apologize for the incident in second year, but I'd rather not have Slughorn supervise for the actual potion making." Hermione spoke slowly revealing that she had been the one of the three to go into his stocks that year. Which apparently he had suspected for some time now even though she was the least likely to do such a thing. The only reason she had agreed to steal from the store room was because Harry was enough trouble that year with everyone thinking he was the heir to Slytherin. It wouldn't have boded well for him to be sneaking around at the time. Not that any time was good for acting in such a way.

Professor Snape stuck the quil into the ink bottle next to him leaving it there for now. "I do hope you realise Miss Granger that Slughorn has more experience than me, and I have a busy schedule unlike him who can work around your own schedule since all he does otherwise is sit alone in his house." His tone of voice had changed to aggravated at the end though she wasn't sure if it was because he disliked the other Professor or because Slughorn was a bit of a hermit which was anoying in itself.

"I'm aware of his.. routines, but I would rather not bothe-"

"So instead you intend to bother me with your requests when you are perfectly capable of making the potion youself?" Snape interupted, "Your scores rank high, matching Malfoy's even, you shouldn't need supervising at this point Miss Granger. Now I suggest you send an owl later in the morning-"

"No." Hermione said quickly also interupting the Professor in turn and was awarded with a cold glare. Her skin chilled at his gaze, if death had eyes... "I didn't... what I meant is..." She sighed using the second to collect her jumbled thoughts. Really, she hadn't meant to agravate him further or insult him for that matter. "My own schedule is a bit of a mess these days and-" I don't want to take away from Slughorn's rest time. She sucked in a breath. No, it was best she didn't say that. Glancing up at Severus she thought she saw a flicker of amusment in his eyes to see her struggling to find a justifable reason for having him supervise instead. "well, you heard about the incident where he froze when Ron drank the poisoned drink. If I were to fall over from sudden exhaustion it might end up giving him a heart attack or something. You would be able to react faster and-and..." she trailed off unsure if there was anything more she could add to her agrument.

"From what I hear Miss Granger such an incident hasn't happened after that. When a student accidentally let their flesh touch a specifcally poisionous ingredient he was fast to give them the antidote and even had it out all ready in the case that it happened. I'm sure you would be fine in his care."

How was she losing this? If she wasn't a veela she would be fine with dealing with Professor Slughorn even if he did creep her out... Besides that fact, why did Severus have to be so, so, so, him. This was like torture! She couldn't settle for Slughorn she needed Snape otherwise there was no reason to be making the potions-okay, that was a lie, she needed the draughts if she was going to get though this without being touchy feely which would surely earn her more than a raised brow. "Professor," she tried again, what felt like the millionth time. "Slughorn doesn't seem very capable with the potions-"

"That's just a rumor." Snape assured her before she could even finish. Hermione almost growled in frustration at this. Did he like seeing people squirm for his own pleasure or something?

Her mind flashed to an image of him hovering over her, hands making her tremble with every precise touch along her skin. She forced it out of her mind her bottom lip puffed out a bit. "Well, even so, I wouldn't feel comfortable with him supervising me. I've personally known you much longer from the classes you've taught for much of the duration that I was here." She gnawed at her lip for a moment as that image tried to creep into her mind again. Now was not the time for that! "You're more capable than him anyways and would know how to make the potion the most effective by not just using instructions from the book." She still remembered the alterations he had made to his own school book that Harry had found. "I'd much rather trust my health too you."

His brow arched slightly at those words. It took a moment for Hermione to realise what she had said and what else it could mean considering they were alone. She opened her mouth to quickly clear it up or even take the words back though she didn't want to. "Very well." Snape said before she could get a word out turning back to his ink well and picking up the quill. "I'll send an owl later this evening with a list of times and you will choose whichever work best for you." He glanced over at her one last time. "Finish the water or put it down the drain then leave Miss Granger, your ten minutes are up." His attenssion was back to the papers now.

She stood silent for a moment then drained the glass before setting it carefully in the sink and turned around to walk out the door.

_**/ / /**_

His gaze lifted from the class work schedule he had been working on to watch her leave once her back was turned. She seemed calmer now that she had gotten her way, not that he would really push her towards Slughorn. Snape had been curious of her reasoning behind it though. Any students not in Slytherin insisted the older teacher help them instead. It was like Slughorn was stealing his students which he found irritating.

Hermione was the only non-Slytherin insisting that he supervise her instead of jumping for an excuse to not have to spend extra time around him. She had made a few fine points since Slughorn did just copy the text. A walking manual is what he was.

His mind wandered back to finding her in the hall leading from the Astronomy Tower. Her face had looked deathly pale under the light of his lumos spell. A tinge of red on her nose from being in the cold for so long. She looked like she had developed a cold and her clothes weren't the many layers suppose to be worn in winter. He had almost critised her for not putting on her winter cloak instead of the summer one she had worn. But when she had backed up looking almost scared and quivering in the cold he had pressed the urge down and instead before he knew what he was doing had pressed his hand to her forehead. It had been hot a contradiction to how cold she looked.

When he had done so though he noticed a slight tint to her cheeks and had withdrawn his hand. He was still confused what that had been about. But he never let his mind wander on mundane matters.

The schedule he was working up was more important than a Gryfindor student that Minerva could have seen to had she been the one to find her. Seeing as the woman was asleep at this time though he didn't see a reason to wake her about the Gryfindor being out and about.

As he started writing again he realised he had forgotten to deduct points from Gryfindor. Next time, he thought.

_**/ / /**_

As soon as she heard it close behind her she smiled. Yes! She had succedded in her task of getting time to spend with him alone, not to mention making the potions which she considered a great plus.

Once up on the first floor and making her way back to the Gryfindor Tower she noticed the sky seemed to be a dark grey rather than completely black. Hermione realised she had been down there in the dungeons alone with Snape longer than a mere ten minutes. Had anyone seen her enter and leave the classroom? The skin along her cheeks flamed slightly at the thought. She hoped not.

It wasn't exactly normal for a student to be up a these times what if a fellow student or teacher saw and assumed... Calm down! She drew in a shaky breath shoving those thoughts away. It's not like she actually did anything. Sure, her mind went off a bit to... well, you know. But that wasn't her fault! It was the veela. That's what she kept telling herself atleast knowing she had conjured up that image herself just fine.

Shaking her head she got to the staircases and quickly ran up them to whisper the password to the Fat Lady and slip into the tower silently.


End file.
